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The U.S. Marine Corps is seeking proposals for a Big Data Platform (BDP) prototype that can store and analyze top secret data on cyberthreats, according to a request for white papers released July 23.

Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command is releasing the request through the Consortium for Command, Control, Communication and Computer Technologies (C5), run by the Consortium Management Group, using Other Transaction Authority (OTA). By law, any OTA prototype project must have at least one nontraditional defense contractor or small business participating.

According to the RWP, which can be accessed by C5 members here, the Marines are seeking a cloud-based prototype “capable of storing and performing analytics on data collected from Deployable Mission Support Systems (DMSS)” at the secret and top secret classification levels in the first phase of the project.

In phase 2, the objective is to increase the number of prototypes, expand coverage in the National Capitol Region, and add subordinate commands. After completion of both phases, a follow-on production contract may be awarded to multiple vendors for a Marine Corps-wide solution.

While no contract value is estimated, the Marine Corps spent $45 million on cybersecurity contracting in fiscal 2017, down substantially from the peak of $79 million in fiscal 2015 . In January, U.S. Cyber Command awarded a $2.4 million sole-source contract to Enlighten IT Consulting Inc. to develop USCYBERCOM’s Big Data Platform, which will connect to the Marine Corp’s BDP.

The deadline for responses to the RWP is extremely tight: All responses must be received by by noon EST July 30 so that the government can meet its deadline of Aug 3. The announcement attributes the short deadline to “Fiscal Year 2018 funding requirements.” This indicates that the Marine Corps will pay for the prototype work with fiscal 2018 money that will not be available after the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

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